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Poll Shows de Blasio Maintaining Huge Lead

Time is running out for Joseph J. Lhota, the Republican candidate for mayor of New York City.

With two weeks to go before the Nov. 5 election, Bill de Blasio, the Democratic nominee, continues to lead Mr. Lhota by an overwhelming margin, according to a Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters released on Monday.

Mr. de Blasio, the current public advocate and a former city councilman from Brooklyn, has the support of 68 percent of likely voters, while Mr. Lhota, a former deputy mayor and chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, also from Brooklyn, has 24 percent. Adolfo Carrión Jr., a former Bronx borough president who is running as the Independence Party candidate, has 2 percent.

In the poll, Mr. de Blasio leads in virtually every demographic group, and is viewed favorably by a three to one ratio. Mr. Lhota, by contrast, is still viewed more unfavorably than favorably.

Voters also seem more aligned with Mr. de Blasio when it comes to identifying with a candidate who addresses their top issues, including creating more jobs, reducing the gap between rich and poor, and improving education. Mr. Lhota has an edge among voters who say that crime is their top concern.

Most troubling for Mr. Lhota is that, more than a month into a general election battle, he has failed to gain any traction, despite leveling nonstop attacks and ads against Mr. de Blasio. His latest ad — which suggests that if Mr. de Blasio were elected, crime could return to the high levels seen in the 1970s and 1980s — was released last week.

Quinnipiac University surveyed 973 likely voters from Oct. 16 to 20. The margin of sampling error for the poll is plus or minus three percentage points.